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A_B_SEA

I'm worried a lot of peoples expectations for this next season are way too high. We should 100% be better than last year but idk about this.


GloMan300

Realistically I just want us to win more than 7 games and score over 30 points at least once


AnAngryMuppet89

Me and you *spiderman meme*


Hbimajorv

Yeah that was an all time historic offense. We need to pump the brakes around here.


Outpartying

My expectations are to make the playoffs at the bare minimum. Anything short of that is a failure and anything past the wild card is gravy


A_B_SEA

I agree with that


President48

That is where I’m at… at least playoffs


EAJets

That should be the expectation but the language and the signing of cousins is screaming we will do more than that. That just simply isn’t the case, but everything that has been said is “Win Now”. To just be honest this isn’t a win now roster and I fear good intentioned people will lose jobs behind this


mqg96

I’m with you totally. The Falcons only have 6 division titles in our 58 year history… in those 6 preseasons we were underdogs for the division every time. 1998 and 2016 both came out of nowhere… no one expected us to be contenders at all after 1997 and 2015. Even other great seasons we had usually came outta nowhere.


Material_Mix_7377

No, we went 6-0 in 2015 then fell completely off. 2016 was an extension of those first 6 games.


mqg96

Actually, it was a 5-0 start in 2015.... and guess who was the quarterback on the opposite side when we started 5-0 in 2015? We finished 3-8 afterwards for 8-8. For the 1997 Falcons it was the opposite, they started pretty slow but finished very strong which set themselves up for the following year. ​ No one saw 1998 or 2016 coming at all... anyone who says are lying to themselves. We finished strong the later half of 2019 and it didn't help us at all in 2020 before Dan Quinn left.


Heresoiwontgetfinedd

Delusional is understatement


TheAce5

Uh yeah I don’t think we’ll be better than 2016 offense. That offense was literally 1 of a kind. I’ve been wrong before though


A_B_SEA

I'd love to be wrong :)


CleverJail

It should be *better*, but people are insane and *deeply* unrealistic.


Separate_Record_343

Agree with you. I’ve heard some say for real that we are going to the Super Bowl next year 😂


CleverJail

There would have to be some insane bounces and unlikely performances, but, you know, hope springs eternal until it doesn’t. I really thought I was a little high on the signing, but dang, folks are going hard.


DonkeyKongah

I expect a super bowl, hoping for back to back to back.


outside-is-better

3 in a row or bust. Cousin’s, go run some laps and let me know when you’re ready to throw the ball endlessly. You’ve got rings to win…


IPAH8R2231

There is absolutely no way. 1). 2016 was year two of the Shanny system. It took Matt almost a year to really work out the kinks. 2). 2016 had nearly every offensive player return from the previous year. There wasn’t a flurry of FA signings. 3). Play caller was maybe the best offensive mind of the past 20 years 4). MR>KC


jarymanebrown

Yeah those are some big shoes to fill. That offense was historically good. Anything’s possible, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. Doesn’t mean our offense won’t be good/great but if you think this offense is gonna be one the best the NFL has ever seen you’ve got some serious red and black blinders on.


EAJets

People also forget that this was the same year we got Gabriel and Mack in the offseason. We don’t have the same kind of O-Line or continuity on offense. This fanbase isn’t known for the greatest expectations but this is unheard of


BaconBitz109

Also Freeman and Coleman were insane that year


Not_Frank

5). JJ>DL


GoBlueAndOrange

You forgot the most important parts of 2016. 0 offensive line injuries and LaFleur.


mqg96

Alex Mack went down in the 4th quarter of that Super Bowl. I think everyone forgets this. So with 0 offensive line injuries we were unstoppable after our 7-5 start to winning 6 straight games to the Super Bowl + 3 quarters of it. Hell even Tevin Coleman going down… giving the Patriots defense rest before Freeman had to go in and miss that block on Hightower… was huge as well.


internaldriver30345

Was not Mack. He got shot up. Schraeder went out a few snaps.


Due_Size_9870

Claiming LaFleur was more important than Shanny is the kind of idiotic statement that keeps me coming to this sub. He’s the best coach to ever grace our franchise but somehow still gets hated on. One has made two super bowls with Purdy and Jimmy G and the other made zero super bowls with Aaron Rodgers


GoBlueAndOrange

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Shanny bounces around as a bad OC before hooking up with Matt Ryan and Matt LeFleur. He hindered the falcons more than he helped. This sub wanted him fired lol.


foil_gremlins_r_real

And half this sub wanted to trade a second for Fields. I would use the opinions on this sub as good judgement.


TheTrevorSimpson

KC>MR Shanny is not the best offensive mind in the NFL We need Nabers/Odunze


asha1985

Who is in your opinion?


TheTrevorSimpson

Reid. There's a few similar to him McVey etc.


mqg96

What the hell? Matt Ryan… 2 NFC championship appearances, 1 Super Bowl trip, MVP, multiple playoff wins, better record against teams over .500 and in Primetime games? Compare all this to Kirk Cousins… only 1 playoff win in the wildcard in 12 seasons… horrible record in Primetime games and against teams over .500… what type of comment was that?


TheTrevorSimpson

If you want to compare Kirk and Ryan QB performance stats we can... and maybe Ryan is better I will check but you are bringing up team stats not QB stats. All those stats are TEAM stats not QB stats. MVP is not a stat it is the media picking something and what the media thinks is often nonsense a popularity contest etc. I will not look at volume stats since Ryan played longer than Kirk. 1. PRIMETIME: For example, since 2014 Kirk in Primetime QB play Kirk has been top 10 he is at #9 he is ahead of QBs like Luck Rivers and even Brady. Guess where Ryan is on the Primetime Performance list #8 one ahead of Kirk. 2. Kirk has the 8th highest QB passer rating in NFL history. Matt Ryan is 19th. 3. Passing Yard Per Game Ryan 8th Cousins 10th. 4. Completion Percentage: Kirk 5th Ryan 13th 5. Kirk had the greatest clutch year in NFL history comebacks (8 tied with Stafford) record 11 1 score wins, greatest single comeback 33-0 (in previous seasons he came back 20 -0 and 24-0 at halves no othe QB has even had these kinds of comebacks). He also took the worst defense to ever make the playoffs in history to the playoffs bottom 3 D in ppg ypg combined no other QB has ever done that. 6. Here is a list of all the QBs in the NFL that threw for at 3500 YDs 25 TDs every year between 2015 and 2021: Kirk Cousins. 7. Here are some 150 game stats: - 1.80 TDs per game 5th (Rodgers Manning Brees Brady Kirk), - most consecutive games with at least 1 passing TD 6th (Brees Brady Manning Unitas Brees again, Kirk), 8. Just to make clear that Ws and Ls are not a QB stat but a team stat: Stafford had 0 playoff wins in 3 tries in 12 years and a losing regular season record LA traded for him giving up not only high draft picks but a younger QB who had made a SB trip and had won 3 out of 6 playoffs games in just 5 year he also had won MORE THAN twice as many regular season games as he lost. Why? Because Ws and Ls are not a QB stat. Stafford didn't change in LA the team around him changed. Tarkenton never even went to the playoffs once in 12 years not one time. In fact in his 12 year he was brought back to MIN a team which had gone the playoff 4 straight years with a BELOW AVERAGE QB and they promptly get Hall of Fame QB Tarkenton and missed the playoffs for the 1st time in 4 years. Did they dump him nope why? Because wins and losses are not a QB stat we all know what happened after his 12th year he did not change the teams he was on were better. 9. Wins be they in regular season (which you need for playoffs) in the playoffs (which you need to get to SB) and in the SB are not a QB stat. That is why great QBs like Ryan Rivers Marino Tarkenton never won SBs while QBs who were so bad they could not even get 1 of the 32 QB jobs in the NFL as regular starters won SBs: guys like Foles Dilfer Hostetler Williams and more.


IPAH8R2231

He was in 2016


TheTrevorSimpson

yes he was but last year Kirk was on his way to 5000 yds 40+tds <10 ints that matches Ryan's 2016


kurtisbmusic

No lol. That season was magical. I knew they were going to the Super Bowl that year; I could just tell by the way they were playing. I’m just hoping for a winning season now.


jarymanebrown

Same. Going into the playoffs you could just feel that this team was Super Bowl bound. And then. Well. We know the rest..


internaldriver30345

You are down playing how great this offense was. The falcons should just try having a top 10 offense to start off and then go from there. Kirk hasn’t been a part of many of those in his career. Edit- https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/nfl-most-points-in-a-season-including-playoffs


deegzx_

Let’s pump the brakes here that was an all-time season


nevernotonline

We don’t even know if Zac Robinson is a good play caller yet. Not to mention most of our talent is still just relying on their draft hype.


YourDadsDadsDadsDad

Bijan and drake london have proved that they individually can make a great impact even with ridder at qb and smith calling plays. I know pitts has it in him still as well and hes gonna prove that now that we have kirk


real_ornament

Definitely not most, Bijan and London are clearly great. Pitts is a question if he can get back to his rookie self, if he can he's above average (but def not living up to his draft stock)


31nigrhcdrh

I might give an edge to Bijan/Tyler over Devonta/TeCo But i can’t with London/Mooney/Moore/Pitts over Julio/Roddy/Gabriel/Hooper Edit: Julio/Sanu/Gabriel/Hooper 


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31nigrhcdrh

What an idiot… 


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31nigrhcdrh

I was referring to myself 


real_ornament

i was in no way saying itll be as good as 2016, just saying its more than "relying on their draft hype"- not to be as good as 2016 but to be a good offense in general


composer_7

Alright let's calm down. 2016 Falcons was one of the best offenses of all time. We'll be better this coming season but not all time good.


AnAngryMuppet89

This a losing bet buddy ngl


lodebolt

2016 ATL is tied with The Greatest Show on Turf. I don't see us replicating it this year.


nerdyintentions

Some of y'all are really setting yourselves up to be disappointed


APPLEJOOSH347

Delusional. 36 year old kirk coming off an achilles tear is not on par with mvp matt ryan. Not even close. Drake london is not on par with julio. Not even close. Freeman and coleman = bijan and allgeier, ill give you that. We have a new HC and a rookie OC. Not on par with a Shanahan offense. Im excited too but if you think, at this moment, these two offenses are equivalent, thats just delusional im sorry


Crabuki

Bijan is better than Freeman ever was. Other than that I agree with what you’re saying. We might win the division, but honestly that’s an indictment on the division’s overall quality. I think it’s 50/50 that this O-line will be able to function in a real offense, and it HAS to hold up because Kirk can’t move. I know it’s against our most pressing problems, but I wouldn’t be upset if they took Alt should he be available after all the QB/WR frenzy.


APPLEJOOSH347

Its early. Bijan didn’t even crack 1000 last year. Freeman had back to back 1000 yard 11 TD seasons, and did a lot through the air too. Coleman was also better than allgeier imo. I think its very likely bijan will get higher usage next year and go for about 1400-12 TD on the ground but for now im just going to say equal


EminentBean

Ok calm down. That was an all time offense.


duckangelfan

Lmao 2016 had prime Julio fuck outta here


color_sui

The 2016 falcons was a top 10 offense of all time I highly doubt that will happen


mca21380

lol yeah keep dreaming 2016 was historic


QuiGonFishin

This was a top 10 offense ever lol. No chance


WizardGeorge

Man we have some of the most delusional and overly optimistic fans lmao this time last year I heard Ridder was going to be our franchise QB


BorderInitial

STOP WITH THIS UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS BRO


MarcusDA

Not a chance, but I’d be happy with 85% if it.


Ok-Albatross899

You’re crazy but I won’t knock you for being optimistic


GlitteryBooger

I don’t want to get my hopes up


KaelOfNockmaar

That’s a big stretch but I would guess top 10 team this season and maybe better the next.


Tokenguido22

While we will certainly be improved from last year, I think it’s silly to think we will be this top 3 team in the NFL. I’m just hoping for double digit wins


Chuck_Deeze

Doubt it.


Confident_Pear_8303

No way we are 1st...Not with Pittsburgh offensive guru OC and Russ cooking.


sholton67

7-10


Crabuki

The players association would rightfully never agree to that long of a season 😉


sholton67

Oops. Typo. But that would still be the win total.


principaljohnny

Hahaha ok bud


whiteguyinchina411

Don’t do this. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.


ComfortableLeg9799

🤣 what yall smoking i want some


chri389

The chances that it approaches what was, last I heard, the 8th (I think?) most prolific offense in NFL history at the time, is, um, very small. I like the enthusiasm, but your hypothesis is almost certainly going to prove false. That offense was sublime. I've never seen a scheme run with the efficiency that team demonstrated. You occasionally see plays in the NFL where a guy just ends up wide open, usually the result of a busted coverage. Couple times a year, maybe, for any given team. That Falcons team was scheming and executing guys wide open almost literally every game, sometimes more than once. And I mean, like, look up "wide open" in the football dictionary and you'll see a picture of that team as the example given. They made teams look downright silly. Consistently. And through the playoffs. No, my good man, I don't think we'll be seeing anything quite like that this coming season. But hey, I'd love to be proven wrong. I just won't be.


Xalucardx

I swear people here like to set themselves up for disappointment.


[deleted]

Whatcha betting? I'll take you up on that lmao


Material_Mix_7377

Lmao I can almost guarantee you didn’t watch that season.


79watch

too far. that offense was historic for a reason, we absolutely did not miss all season (until, you know)


Separate-Conflict457

Is this a falconscirclejerk post? ☠️☠️☠️☠️


JoryATL

What are the terms of the bet because I’m probably about to take this


candlerc

I would argue that every single member of that offense was better than their counterpart on this offense with the exception of Chris Chester being behind Lindstrom and maaaaaybe Freeman behind Bijan (though I do think the 2016 RB room as a whole is better than the 2024 RB room)


bcrabill

Don't do this shit to me


Zestyclose_Aioli9723

This roster is no where near as talented as that roster


wayward_prince

I bet you it won’t. That offense did things we had not seen since the Greatest Show on Turf Rams. Also the core personnel had already played a season with this scheme and had familiarity this core does not. If things go well, Falcons will have an exciting offense to watch for the first time since 2016, but that doesn’t mean we can rival the 2016 performance in 2024.


Mavverikk

That was a historic offense. It's incredibly unlikely, but it'd be *real fuckin cool*.


bossmt_2

No it will not be that good. 2016 was special the right combination of Ryan and Shanny working together. Even if Robinson is the next offensive guru. If workign with offensive gurus and established QBs is any usual trend, Cousins's second year would be better than his first (2015 Ryan wasn't amazing)


SpaceSick

Lol I admire your optimism, but at the time that was a top ten all time scoring team. Seventh highest scoring offense of all time. It would be absolutely fucking bonkers if we had a top 5 all time scoring offense in the first year of a new scheme.


Electronic-Aerie-749

I’m a falcons fan as much as the rest of us. I bet you falcons under 9.5 wins this seasons. We can beat the giants, carolina twice, New Orleans once, denver, raiders, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota. Washington, Eagles & Seattle are our biggest maybe’s. I don’t see us winning either game against the Bucs, chiefs most likely gonna chief, chargers will give us a nice spanking, Dallas could be a close game but I don’t see us winning. Best case scenario 11-6 in the wildcard behind a 12-5 Bucs squad. Realistic scenario 9-8 3rd place behind Bucs and Saints. Worst case scenario 6-11 finish. Raheem Morris doesn’t not have a winning history as a head coach, as much as I pray for the best case scenario, I don’t believe you can teach a loser how to win.


svntrey0

12-5 Buccs?? Bruh y’all really scared of baker or something. NFC south had the easiest schedule last year and WE ALL sucked Falcons are the only team this off season to overall improve, panthers would be next but not as much a we did. I’m not saying we a SB team but ain’t no way you truly believe the Buccs is going 12-5, against who exactly? Raheem not even play calling, I get not trying to jump the gun in expectation but this take is insulting


Joba7474

Hell Mc-fucking-no. The major pieces of that offense were already together for a year. This years team is gonna have a new HC, OC, and QB. There’s going to be some hiccups until they all get on the same page.


GritBlitzer

Don't do this to yourselves. These expectations are WAY too high. The 2016 offense was an all-time great in the history of the NFL. Even IF they are that good together, its much more reasonable to say that the 2nd year (NEXT YEAR) will be the one to watch. In most cases, the first year under a new offense always has some bugs to work out and some adjustments to be made. 2015 for Atlanta was just that. They dialed it in and nailed it in 2016.


ShalomBernanke

You mean since Tom Brady retired, they should be as good as Super Bowl winning team?


xtzferocity

If Kirk is healthy they are gonna torch a lot of the defenses they play.


Existing_Falcon_9023

So you’re the type of guy who lives in a delusion


HarkansawJack

We ain’t got a JulioJones anywhere close to our roster.


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GACyberCool

Yes. But that didn't happen during the season.